Mould with slide valve therefor



Feb. 1o', 1,970

. BALENcY-BEARN 3,494,010

MOULD WITH SLIDE VALVE THEREFOR Filed Oct. 9, 1967 FIG` 2 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hrrys.

Feb. l0, 1970 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 9, 1967 -Hrll-- Feb. 1'0, 1970 A. BALENcY-BEARN 3,494,010

MOULD WITH SLIDE VALVE THEREFOR Filed Oct. 9. 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fb- '10,v 1970 A. BALENCY-BEARN 3,494,010

' MOULD WITH SLIDE VALVE THEREFOR I Filed Oct. 9, 1967 j 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIGA A. BALENCY-B-ARN MOULD WITH SLIDE VALVE THEREFOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 91967 United States Patent Inf. ci. A41b 7/04, 7/06 U.S. Cl. 25--41 12 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A slide valve for use with a mould for producing concrete structural elements comprises a mounting connectable with the bottom of the mould and having an opening for alignment with the bottom of the mould and which is opened and closed by a valve member slidable relative to the mounting and which is provided with locking means which co-operate with guide means by which an end piece carried by the free end of a concrete feeding duct is guided into co-operation with said opening, the locking means being arranged to lock the end piece to the mounting when the valve member is in the open position thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The production in the works of prefabricated structural elements, for example partitions or cross-walls, of concrete, is carried out by moulds positioned one after another, permitting of a high rate of production of structural elements of all sizes which may or may not comprise integrated elements such as door frames or other reinforcements.

Description of the prior art In known production of such units vertically disposed moulds are lled in the manner of a spring, that is to say they each have their base connected through a valve to a duct of an apparatus conveying the concrete under pressure, this apparatus being displaceable on rails parallel to the moulds.

This technique requires operatives positioned at the base of the moulds, whose task is to make the connection and disconnection of the duct conveying the concrete, connected to the aforesaid apparatus, and a second op# erative at the upper part of the moulds supervises the filling of the moulds and interrupts the feed of concrete under pressure when the mould in question is full, after which the apparatus is moved by operatives into alignment with another mould where the feed duct is connected manually to produce another structural element, and so on.

This known production technique has disadvantages in respect of the connection of the concrete feed duct to the base of the moulds since the elements to be handled are heavy and the connection is unwieldy.

It is a `main object of the present invention to provide a slide valve for use in such techniques in which these disadvantages are minimised, by providing the moulds with valves which allow automatic connection and disconnection of the concrete feed duct under pressure.

SUMMARY According to the present invention there is provided a slide-valve for use with a cavity such as a mould for the production of concrete structural elements which cavity is lled through a duct connected to a source of concrete and to the valve, said valve comprising a valve member reciprocable relative to an opening in a mounting therefor to effect opening and closing of said opening, and

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locking means operable by the valve member co-operate with guide means arranged to guide an end piece carried by the free end of the duct into alignment with said opening, said locking means being operable to lock the said end-piece to said mounting in the open' position of the valve member.

In a` preferred apparatus for the producing of prefabricated structural elements in moulds placed side by side and filled from a source, each of the moulds has at its lbase one or more valves according to the invention and the end-piece is fitted to the -free endnof a duct rigidly connected to a concrete vat or tank which, itself, is pivotally arranged about a horizontal axis parallel to the moulds and is displaceable on rails parallel to the said moulds.

With an arrangement of this nature, subject to having marks indicating the location of the valves,`it is very easy for an operative positioned on a platform,` cat-walk or the like of the concrete tank, to displace the concrete tank by appropriate driving devices, and its associated duct, so that the end-piece of the duct is presented in alignment with a valve in a first stage, then in a second stage, to cause an angular displacement of the tank to bring the end-piece into immediate proxi-mity to the valve.

A second operative stationed on a platform at the top of the moulds then actuates the corresponding valve, advantageously controlled by a ram, which causes the slide valve to open; during its displacement, the slide valve operates the devices for placing the end-'piece in position, and for locking the end-piece to the valve throughout the period during which the slide valve allows the injection of the' concrete into the mould.

. Thus the molds having such valves, in addition to the advantage of allowing of automatic connection of the concrete feed duct, employ only two operatives for the whole of the operations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a valve according to the invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are cross-sections along the line II II of FIG. l, showing the valve in the open and closed positions, respectively;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section along the line IV-IV of FIG. l; and

FIG. 5 shows the valve in use in a plant for the production of Prefabricated concrete structural elements.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the valve comprises a mounting 10 and a slide valve 11 slidably mounted therein in slideways 12 and 13` (FIG. 1) formed in the mounting 10. It should be noted that the mounting 10 and the slide valve 11 are of equal thickness so that the faces of the valve 11 lie flush with the two faces of the mounting. The slide valve 11 has a free front extremity 14, FIGS. 1 to 3, which is shaped as a blade, see FIG. 2, and a rear end 15 connected to a ram 16. In a central area, the valve has two openings 17 and 18, FIG. 1, in which are terminal portions of crank arms 19, 20 solid with a sleeve 21 rotatably mounted on a shaft 22 pivoted in anges 23 secured rigidly to the mounting 10.

` The crank arms 19, 20 are connected to the slide valve by a spindle 24 engaged in slots 25 extending lengthwise of the crank arms. Close to its terminal parts, the sleeve 21 is provided, for example by welding, with locking levers 26, 27, eachl arranged so that one edge 28 thereof can co-operate with an end-piece indicated generally at 29.

Two cheek plates 30 and 31 are welded to the lower 3 face of the mounting 10 and form guides (FIGS. 2 and 4) for the end-piece 29. Each cheek plate 30, 31 has a downwardly tapered internal plane face 32, FIGS. 2 and 4, and ramps 33, 34 (FIG. 2) forming an inverted V-shaped free lower edge 35 for each guide.

The end-piece 29, at the end thereof which engages the mounting 10 has an orifice of appropriate cross Section and is arranged to be in contact with the mount ing and is sealed thereto by a joint 36, FIG. 4. At a distance from its free extremity, the end-piece has two radial journals 37, 38 which are diametrically opposed and rigidly secured to the end-piece by welds, and reinforcing rings 39, FIG. 4.

A valve of this kind is suitable for use in lling vertical moulds as shown in FIG. 5, these moulds in manner know per se comprising two vertical spaced-apart faces 40, 41 resting on a fixed frame 42 in alignment with displaceable elements 43, 44 which are disposed to move on end beams and are actuated by rams (not shown).

The base of e'ach of the moulds has one or more valves V as hereinabove described, symmetrically disposed at either side of a vertical axis A-A and in alignment with openings 45, FIGS. 2 to 4, in the bottom 46 of the moulds. The valves are each secured to the bottom of the mould by their mountings 10 by screws 47, FIGS. 1 and 4, in a manner such that no part of the mounting projects inside the mould, see FIGS. 2 to 4.

Several moulds are advantageously disposed one beside the other and a concrete feeding plant 49 is displaceable on a conventional track in alignment with the moulds, the plant comprising a concrete tank 50, FIG. 5, pivotally arranged at 51 on a frame 52 itself displaceable in the direction of the arrow F on a second frame 53 resting on the track.

To the lower part of the tank 50 is rigidly connected a duct S supported, for example, by a rod 56; the duct 55 has as its free end an end-piece 29. For the purpose of angular displacement of the tank and of its associated duct, a ram 57 is incorporated and is connected between the tank 50 and the frame 52 supporting the tank.

The displacement of the plant 49 on the track, the displacement of the frame 52 on the frame 53, the angular displacement of the tank 50, are carried out by an operative 58 positioned on an appropriate platform 59, and a second operative 60` is positioned between the moulds on a platform 61.

Thus, for example, for the purpose of filling the cavity of a mould C (FIG. 5), the operative 58 actuates the displacement of the plant 49 on the rails in such manner that the end of the duct 55 is brought into alignment with a selected valve V, then, by action on the ram 57, actuates the angular displacement of the tank 50 in such manner as to bring the end-piece 29 into the immediate vicinity of the valve V, after which the ram 16 associated with the valve V is brought into action by the second operative 60 which causes the opening of the slide valve 11; the locking levers 26, 27 are displaced by the slide valve during opening, are brought into contact with the journals 37, 38, and the edges 28 draw the end piece 29 against the lower face of the mounting of the valve and then lock the valve for as long as the slide valve 11 is in the open position (FIG. 2). The concrete may then be injected into the cavity C.

At the end of the lling operation, the operative 60 carries out the reverse operations, that is to say that he closes the valve, which unlocks the end piece 29; and the operative 58 then actuates the ram 57 to free the duct 55 from the lower part of the moulds.

The plant 49 may now be displaced on the track towards another valve, or towards another mould, or the operative 58 may, by ldisplacement of the frame 52 on the frame 53, bring the extremity of the duct 55 into alignment with a cavity C1 as shown in dash-dotted lines, for filling it.

Thus the moulds are filled under good conditions by two operatives only, stationed to carry out and supervise all the operations.

I claim: 1. Apparatus for use with a cavity such as a mould for the production of concrete structural elements, said apparatus comprising a duct connected to a source of fluent material, a mounting, a slide valve member reciprocable relative to an opening in said mounting, means to actuate said valve member to effect opening and closing of said opening, guide means on said mounting aligned with said opening, end piece members carried by the free end of said duct and adapted to be received in said guide means, and locking means operable by said valve member during its opening movement to lock said end piece members in said guide means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mounting is arranged for connection with the bottom of a mould with the opening in the mounting in alignment with an opening at the bottom of the mould, and wherein the valve member and the mounting are of the same thickness and are so disposed relative one to the other that the faces of the valve member lie flush with the faces of the mounting.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one end of the valve member is connected to a ram and its opposite end is shaped as a blade.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the mounting is arranged to engage in the opening in the mould so that no part projects inside the mould.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the locking means comprise levers secured to a sleeve rockable about a shaft carried by flanges secured tothe mounting, and crank arms movable Iwith the sleeve and connected with the valve member.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the free end parts of the crank arms are located in openings provided in `the valve member and a transverse spindle carried by the valve member is engaged in slots extending lengthwise of the crank arms.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide means comprise two cheek plates facing each other and solid with the mounting, said cheek plates being disposed on opposite sides of the valve member to be parallel to the direction of displacement thereof and having inclined plane surfaces opening out from close to the mounting to their free edges, and V-shaped notches which define ramps to facilitate location of the end piece members in position.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein two diametrically opposed journals are carried by the end piece members for co-operation with the ramps and with the locking means.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mounting is arranged for connection with the bottom of a mould with the opening in the mounting in align-ment with an opening at the bottom of the mould, wherein the valve member and the mounting are of the same thickness and are so disposed relative one to the other that the faces of the valve member lie flush with the faces of the mounting, wherein one end of the valve member is connected to a ram and its opposite end is shaped as a blade,

wherein the mounting is arranged to engage in the opening in the mould so that no part projects inside the mould, and

wherein the locking means comprise levers secured to a sleeve rockable about a shaft carried by flanges secured to the mounting, and crank arms movable with the sleeve and connected Iwith the valve member.

10. Apparat-us according to claim 9, wherein the free end parts of the crank arms are located in openings provided in the valve member and a transverse spindle carried by the valve member is engaged in slots extending lengthwise of the crank arms.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the guide means com-prise two cheek plates facing each other and solid with the mounting, said cheek plates being disposed on opposite sides of the valve member to be parallel to the direction of displacement thereof and having inclined Aplane surfaces opening out from close to the mounting to their free edges, and V-shaped notches which define lo ramps to facilitate location of the end piece members in position,

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein two dia-metrically opposed journals are carried by the end piece members for cooperation with the ramps and with the locking levers.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,322,186 5/1967 Takacs et al.

ROBERT D. BALDWIN, Primary Examiner Us. ci. X.R. 

